Telephone-selecting device.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904..

Y W. M. JAMES. TELEPHONE SELECTING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 26. 1903..

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No. 761,888. V I I .PATENTED JUNE '2, 1904:.

' W. M. JAMES.

TELEPHONE SELECTING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26 1993.

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UNITED STATES Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TELEPHONE-SELECTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,888, dated June '7, 1904.

' Application filed June 25, 1903. Serial No. 162,987. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. J AMES, a citizen or the United States, residing at New Brighton, county of Ramsey,and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone Selecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for making operative connection with selected instruments of a party-line telephone system; and its object is to provide efficient means whereby one station of a party-line system may call the central station without signaling other stations, and the central station may select and call any station without signaling any other station. This object I accomplish by the novel selecting mechanism and connections hereinafter set forth. i i

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a plan view of the selector mechanism. Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the same, some of the parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but showing only a portion of the devices. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection of the same parts shown in Fig. 3, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 show detached parts.

In the drawings, 1 and 2 designate, respectively, a suitable base and'standard for supporting the selector devices, and 3 an electromagnet mounted thereon. The armature 4 is polarized by a permanent magnet (not shown) and is connected at its middle by means of pivots 5 to the arms of a yoke 6, attached to slidable sleeves 6 on the cores of the electromagnet, and the armature is attached to the end of a leaf-spring 7, which serves to hold slide to be held in place after it has been adjusted by turning or sliding it on the rod. The slide is .thus adapted to serve to adjust hence the flexibility of the armature.

- both the yoke and armature inwardor outward, and thereby adjust the armature toward or away from the pole-faces, and it also serves to regulate the flexibility of the springyand To an arm of the armature-lever'is pivoted one end of a bar 12, the other end of which is provided with a downward tooth 1'3,'the bar and tooth constituting a pawl that is reciprocated by the vibratory movements of the armature to impart intermittent movements to holding the disk from-movement while the pawl is advancing from one hole to the next a" holding-dog is provided, consisting of a pivoted bar 17, provided with a tooth arranged to engage successively in the holes of the series 16 as the disk is rotated step'by step by the pawl reciprocations. The dog is pivoted to a hanger 18, that is supported by a transverse frame 19, attached to the base, and the pawl and dog bars are arrangedabove the disk with their toothed ends side by side. A pin 20, secured to the dog, extends laterally over the end portion of the pawl, but far enough above it to be free from contact with the pawl during the ordinary feed movements of the latter, but in position to be engaged to lift the dog-tooth from the disk when the pawl is raised to inoperative position. For the purpose of so raising the pawl its bar 12 is provided at its under side with an inclined or cam surface 21, and a pin 22 on an arm 23, that is fast to the frame 19, is held in position to'be engaged by the cam when the pawl is reciprocated toward the disk beyond its ordinary feed movement, thereby'lifting the pawl and dog a socket in the end of a screw 25 or other dea vice supported on the transverse "frame 19. The disk is preferably made of light material-such, for instance, as alumin um. For

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retracting the disk to initial position a thread 26 is attached to the spindle 24 and is wound thereon as the disk is advanced step by step, and the thread is fastened to a coil-spring 27, which is connected by a cord 28 to a drum 29, that can be turned and fixed to regulate the tension of the thread upon the spindle.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the magnet is energized by the proper current polarity to cause the pawlcarrying arm of the armature to vibrate only betweenits normal position and the adjacent pole-face the pawl will be correspondingly reciprocated and rotate the disk step by step, but that when the magnet is energized by a current of opposite polarity to directly actuate the other arm of the armature the pawlcarrying end will be moved outward far enough to cause the cam 21 to ride upward on the pin 22 and lift both the pawl and dog out of contact with the disk, (see Fig. 7,) thereby permitting the latter to be returned by its retractile spring to initial position. The disk movement is arrested at the proper point by the engagement of a projection 30 on the disk periphery with a stud 31 on the base.

On the spindle 24 below the disk is a collar 32, adjustably secured thereto by a set-screw 33, and to the sleeve is secured an arm 34, that extends in radial direction beyond the edge of the disk. A lever 35, located below the disk, is supported by a fulcrum 36 between standards 37 on the base, and one of its arms is provided at its under side with a downward flange 38, arranged in the path of the horizontal swinging movement of the arm 34, and provided at its front and rear with oppositelyinclined surfaces 39 and 40, between which is a short horizontal flat surface 41. By this arrangement the movement of the arm 34 to contact with the inclined surface 39 will serve to lift the adjacent portion of the lever 35 until the flat surface 41 rests upon the arm 34, and the parts will remain in this position until the disk is moved another step. A second step movement of the disk will carry the arm past the surface 41 and cause the lever to drop, the incline 40 permitting the lever to descend when the arm passes the flat surface. The inner arm of the lever 35 carries a transverse metallic strip 42, provided with downward contact-points 43, and beneath the points are two mercury-cups 44, supported on the base 1 in an insulating-standard 45. The tilting of the lever by means of the disk rotation will depress the arm carrying the contacts, and the dipping of the two points into the mercury of the cups will, as is obvious, complete the circuit with which the cups are connected. A spring 46, secured on the base beneath the lever, serves to hold the points out of contact with themercury-cups, exceptwhen the lever is operated by the arm 34.

The operation of the devices will probably be apparent. The disk being atinitial or zero position, as indicated in Figs. land 3, an electrical impulse of appropriate polarity istransmitted from a central station over the line to energize the magnet and cause it to attract the armature-lever to the proper pole to draw the pawl toward the magnet. The pawl-tooth being at the time in engagement with the lirst hole of the series 15 will rotate the disk one step or a distance equal to that between one hole of the series and the next hole, and the dog-tooth will drop by gravity into the first hole of the series 16 and hold thedisk in place until it is again moved by the pawl, and obviously each succeeding impulse of the same polarity will serve in the same way to advance the disk one step and hold it in place until the next impulse is transmitted. The circuit in which the mercury-cups are incorporated will not be closed until the contact-points have been dipped into them, and the time of such closure relative to the number of pulsations transmitted will obviously depend upon the radial arrangement of the arm 34 with reference to the series of feed-holes 15. in the arrangement illustrated the arm is adjusted to position diametrically opposite the hole corresponding in number with the number of impulses determined upon for selecting the particular instrument, so that upon the completion of that series of movements a circuit through the cups will be completed. vln the system here contem 'ilated the circuit last referred to-that completed through the cups is the signaling-circuit, and in order that the circuits of the signaling devices of the selectors at the different stations may be closed successively it is necessary that the lever 35 at each station be operated to drop the contact-points. As this operation is effected by the contact of the arm 34 with the lever 35 and as the time such contact takes place in the series of selectors is regulated by the radial positions of the arms 34 relative to the disks of the different instruments, these varying radial positions should be regulated in harmony with the step-by-step movements of the disks. For example, for the first substation the arm 34 should be in position to be moved to engagement with and to tilt the lever when the disk is moved one step. For the second substation the arm should be adjusted to perform the like function when the disk is rotated two steps, and so on with the series of substationselectors. It will be apparent that a one-step rotation of the disk caused by a single current pulsation will complete the circuit through the cups at the first substation, when that station may be signaled, if desired; butifsomeother station is wanted and a second current pulsation is transmitted the instrument at the second substation will have its signaling-circuit closed, while the second step movement of the disk at the first substation will carry the arm past the lever projection and to the cam-surface 40, thereby permitting the lever to till,

' and thus again open the circuit at that station,

and so a third step of the disks will close the circuit for the third station and open that for the second station. Upon'an impulse of 0pposite polarity being transmitted allof the;

pawls and dogs will be lifted out of engagement, and all of the disks will be retracted by their springs to zero positions. I

In the system here proposed the magnet for operating the selector devices is normally in circuit with the two wires of the line, so that it may be directly energized by impulses of either polarity transmitted from the central station. One of the mercury-cup connections is grounded, and theother cup is connected with the signaling devices, which are operated by current supplied from the central station. The use of a local battery is thus avoided. The course of the selective circuit from the central station is through the substation-selectors and return to central, and.

the course of the signaling-current is between a grounded battery at central to the call devices and-the ground at the substations. This arrangement of devices and connections enables the central-station operator to actuate the selected substation-selector to the desired extent to ground the call-device connections and then to send a call-signal. It also, by having the operation of the telephone switchhook ground the signaling device connections in the usual way, enables the substation user to signal the central station without in any way affecting any other substation. 7

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a telephone-selector, an electromagnet, means for successively energizing it with current impulses of opposite polarity, a polarized armature-lever pivotally supported intermediate the pole-faces, a, pawl directly carried by an arm of the armature, a disk intermittently rotated thereby when the magnet is energized by impulses of one polarity, a

dog for holding the disk from return move-' by the disk-arbor, an independent lever -having a projection having oppositely-inclined sides arranged in the path of movement of said lateral arm, and circuit connections arranged to be closed and opened by the lever by an arm of the armature, a disk adapted to be rotated step by step by engagement of its face by the pawl when the magnetis energized by impulses of one polarity, a dog for holdmg the disk from return movement,

means for freeing both the pawl and dog when the magnet is energized by impulses of the. opposite polarity, an adjustable lateral arm carried by the disk-arbor, an independent lever having a projection in. the path of movement of said lateral arm for operating the lever, said projection having oppositelyinclined sides and an intermediate flat surface, a pair of contact-points carried by the lever, and mercury-cups included in a signaling-circuit-and arranged to be engaged by said contactpoints during the engagement of said arm with the flat surface of said projection, substantially as set forth. a

3. In a telephone-selector, an electromagnet, means for successively energizing it with current impulses of opposite polarity, a polarized armature-lever pivotally supported intermediate the pole-faces, a pawl carried by an arm of the armature, a disk intermittently rotated thereby, a holding-dog therefor pro vided with a pin extending laterally over the pawl for liftingand freeing the dog from engagement when the pawl is thrust beyond its normal movement, means for returning the freed disk to initial position, and connections operated by the disk movements to close and open an electric circuit, substantially as set forth.

4. In a telephone-selector, an electromagnet, means for successively energizing it with current impulses of opposite polarity, a polarized armature-lever, a spring attached-to the armature for holding its ends equidistant from the pole-faces, means for adjusting the stiffness of the spring and the position of the armature, a pawl carried by an arm of the ar-- over the pawl for lifting the dog to release it by an upward movement of. the pawl, an inclineformedon the under surface of the pawlshank, a fixed projection arranged to be engaged by said incline when the magnet is energized by impulses which draw the other arm of the armature to the adjacent pole-face,

and means for returning the disk to initial position when freed from thepawl and dog,

substantially as set forth.

6. In a telephone-selector, an electromagnet,- means for successively energizing it with current impulses of opposite polarity, a polarized armatureleverpivotally supported intermediate the pole-faces, a pawl carried by an arm of the armature, a holding-dog, adisk provided near its edge with concentric series to this specification, in the presenccol two silhof holes in Which the pawl and dog respecscribing Witnesses, this 18th day of J 11110,]903. tively engage, means for freeing both the pawl s and clog, and means for returning the disk to \VILLIAM J 5 initial position when free, substantially as set \Vitnesses:

forth. P. H. GUNoKnL,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name H. A. BOWMAN. 

